NO one minds waiting for rain in Biggenden.

Least of all the organisers of the annual Special Steer Sale held last Friday at the Biggenden Saleyards.

Originally scheduled for two weeks earlier, welcome rain pushed the sale back and the price up on the day.

For the winners of the under 400kg class and champion pen, Barry and Carole Whitaker, Rolling Hills, Eidsvold, said magic doses of rain since the start of the year had made all the difference.

"If you wanted to stand in a desert, you should have turned up at our place up until Christmas," Mr Whitaker said.

His pen of 15-month-old Charbray steers caught the eye of judge Wayne Green, Ray White Rural, Longreach, who gave them the official nod.

The pen later sold for 195.2c/kg or $713, surprisingly not the highest price of the day with Greenup Pty Ltd, Eidsvold selling quality Santa Gertrudis steers to average 200.3c/kg.

Mr Whitaker, who had just two pens of 15 steers each at the sale, said he thought the sale would act as a good advertisement for his son Clint's Charbray stud, Burnett Park.

He said the strength of the sale was a good sign for the market overall.

"I think it's going to be a better year in 2010 with signs the dollar could do down a bit," he said.

Burnett Livestock and Realty conducted the sale which saw 2197 head yarded in total with many lot feeders looking for feeder steers of 300kg or more.

The push helped to set a floor in the market making it difficult for the grass fatteners to get into the sale.

The whole yarding averaged 179.6c or $591/head.

Cattle were drawn from Monto, Eidsvold, Cracow, Ubobo, Mundubbera, Mt Perry, Monogorilby, Gayndah, Tansey, Goomeri, Windera, Cloyna, Byee, Wondai, Nanango, Woolooga, Goomboorian, Kin Kin, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Howard, Childers, Bundaberg, Gin Gin, Rosedale, Lowmead and all local areas.

One of the volume buyers at the sale was the Haggarty Farming Company, Biarra.

Owner Scott Haggarty and manager Paul Apel said they made the trip up because of the difficulty in finding quality steers at this time of year.

"The market is stronger for Jap ox at the moment and we target the 100 day grain fed market," Mr Haggarty said.

The company ended up with about 100 head from the sale overall.

* More sale pictures in this week’s Qld County Life, out now.